That night, Lin Zhitang lay tossing and turning on the soft bed, unable to fall asleep.
“Can’t sleep?”
“Mm. We’re leaving Shanghai tomorrow. I’m a little reluctant to go. I grew up here and have never left before.”
“Tangtang, don’t be afraid. I’ll definitely protect you well. When we have time, I’ll accompany you back to Shanghai to visit Dad. Go to sleep early, we still have to take the train tomorrow.”
“Mm.”
After sharing a bed these past days, although they still had not consummated the marriage, the two had become increasingly intimate. Lin Zhitang had gradually grown used to Lu Mingan touching her.
As for Lu Mingan, every night the faint fragrance coming from Lin Zhitang beside him made his whole body burn with desire. He had to take several cold showers every night.
Lu Mingan was at the peak of his youth. Being able to touch but not eat was truly both painful and blissful. His self-control had always been excellent, but in front of Lin Zhitang, it was practically nonexistent.
Soon…
Early the next morning, Lin Zhitang and Lu Mingan got up.
“Tangtang, open the door.”
Lin Zhitang opened it. “Uncle Liu, come in and sit.”
She brought Liu Aiguo into the living room. “Aren’t you working today? Why did you come so early? Good thing we haven’t left yet, otherwise you would’ve come for nothing.”
Lu Mingan poured him a cup of water. “Uncle Liu, have some water.”
“I do have work, but it’s fine if I go a bit later. Your aunt made some food for you, so I brought it over for you to eat on the road. I borrowed the factory’s car too. I’ll drive you to the train station later.”
“Uncle Liu, you and Auntie are really too kind. Have you eaten yet? If not, join us.”
“I already ate.”
“Alright, then we’ll leave right after we finish eating.”
Before Lin Zhitang could even sit down at the dining table, another knock sounded at the door.
Both she and Lu Mingan were baffled. So early in the morning—who else could be visiting?
“Tangtang, go eat. I’ll get the door.”
With Lu Mingan around, Lin Zhitang felt reassured and continued eating breakfast.
Outside the door—
Lu Mingan opened it to find two police officers—the same familiar faces from before.
“What is it?” Lu Mingan frowned slightly and asked.
“I remember you’re Comrade Lu, Comrade Lin Zhitang’s fiancé, right?”
“Yes. Is something wrong?”
“We have a few questions for Comrade Lin Zhitang.”
Lu Mingan led the two officers inside.
“Tangtang, the police comrades are here for you.”
“For me? What happened?” Lin Zhitang looked confused. What could the police possibly want from her this early in the morning?
That morning, one of the neighbors had come to invite Old Madam Wu to go grocery shopping together. After calling for a long time without getting a response, she felt something was wrong and gathered her family to kick open the Wu family’s door.
Only then did they discover that all five members of the Wu family were dead. Terrified, they immediately reported it to the police.
After investigation, the police found that the entire Wu family had eaten poisoned food. Su Yun, the Wu family’s daughter-in-law, was missing, along with all the family’s money and valuables.
The police suspected that Su Yun had poisoned the family, stolen their money, and fled in fear of punishment. A citywide manhunt was now underway.
The officers came to ask whether Su Yun had visited Lin Zhitang.
Lin Zhitang was deeply shocked. Just what had the Wu family done to Su Yun for her to poison every single member of the household?
Although Wu Jianguo and Old Madam Wu were hateful, the Wu family’s three children were still young.
Still, Lin Zhitang only sighed inwardly for a moment. After all, in her previous life she had suffered inhuman torment in the Wu household, and under Old Madam Wu’s upbringing, those three children had not become good people either.
Lin Zhitang answered truthfully. Ever since Su Yun caused a huge scene at the Lin residence, she had never seen her again.
Since Lin Zhitang had no contact with Su Yun, the two police officers soon left.
They also questioned the nearby neighbors. Su Yun indeed had caused trouble at the Lin residence, but afterward she never appeared there again.
“I really couldn’t tell Su Yun was so ruthless. She didn’t even spare the children. Who knows where she’s run off to now or when they’ll catch her. Thankfully, Tangtang, you’re leaving Shanghai today. Hurry and eat. Once you’re done, I’ll take you to the station. Better to leave early too, in case she tries to take revenge on you,” Uncle Liu said fearfully.
“Uncle Liu, don’t worry. I’m leaving today anyway, and with Mingan-ge here, she can’t hurt me,” Lin Zhitang comforted him softly when she saw how worried he looked.
While Liu Aiguo was still worrying that Su Yun might appear to seek revenge, none of them knew that after poisoning the Wu family the previous day, Su Yun had already been kidnapped by Brother Hu while fleeing.
Lu Mingan and Liu Aiguo loaded the three suitcases into the car. Holding the package of food in her hands, Lin Zhitang locked the gates of the Lin Mansion.
Looking through the gate into the courtyard, scenes of her and her father playing there surfaced one after another in her mind like scenes from a movie.
After leaving Shanghai this time, she did not know when she would return again.
And when she did return, she had no idea what would become of the Lin Mansion.
But Lin Zhitang knew one thing clearly—
The Lin Mansion would forever be her home. The home that carried all her beautiful memories with her father.
“Tangtang, get in the car. We should go.”
Uncle Liu drove straight toward the train station.
The journey from Shanghai to Beijing would take thirty hours by train.
“Tangtang, Uncle can only see you off this far. Make sure to send me a message when you arrive safely,” Liu Aiguo said, his face full of reluctance. He truly treated Lin Zhitang like his own daughter.
“I will, Uncle. You should head back now.”
Lin Zhitang and Lu Mingan watched as Liu Aiguo drove away.
Lu Mingan told Lin Zhitang to wait while he first carried the two suitcases onto the train before coming back to help her board.
The two finally managed to squeeze onto the train.
Fortunately, Lu Mingan’s rank allowed him to buy hard-sleeper tickets, sparing Lin Zhitang the misery of sitting in hard seats.
To reach the sleeper carriage, they first had to pass through the hard-seat section.
Back then, trains didn’t inspect for prohibited items. Chickens, ducks, and other poultry could all be brought aboard as long as you could carry them.
It was only September, and the train was already unbearably stuffy. The smell of sweat mixed with chicken and duck droppings made the air overwhelmingly foul.
For the pampered Lin Zhitang, it was practically a disaster.
Luckily, Lu Mingan shielded her the entire way, and they quickly reached the sleeper carriage. Even so, Lin Zhitang had sweated through her clothes.
Lu Mingan had bought two berths—one lower bunk and one middle bunk.
For safety reasons, he let her rest on the middle bunk.
Lin Zhitang had been spoiled since childhood. If conditions allowed, she would never make herself suffer.
She took out two prepared bed sheets from the suitcase and spread them neatly over the bunks before sitting on the lower berth to rest.
In those days, sleeper tickets were not something just anyone could buy. Besides money, you also needed proof from your work unit.
And a sleeper ticket cost 25.8 yuan—almost an entire month’s salary for an ordinary worker’s family. Most people would rather endure hard seats than spend money on a sleeper berth.
Only a few scattered passengers occupied the sleeper carriage. Compared to the crowded, noisy hard-seat cars, this place was incomparably quiet.
Each compartment had two sets of bunks, with upper, middle, and lower berths—six beds in total.
Across from them on the lower bunk sat a young woman holding a child, while the middle bunk opposite belonged to a refined-looking middle-aged man.